Oh boy.... This is gonna be fun. I can't believe I'm in this position where I have to defend this guy. Seriously, I'd much rather Harbaugh be fired and we hire Teryl Austin as the HC.
Yes we've had a lot of injuries that have contributed to some of the defenses problems. Yet despite those injuries to key players, we still are very competitive and can still win games. Injuries are no longer an excuse for Dean anymore, we see players leave in FA for more money, add new ones and still blow 4th quarter leads? Our defense is doing something right if we are having double digits leads at some point during any game. Then the 4th quarter hits and we blow the lead which at that point is not a injury issue or a player issue, it's a scheme issue. You can't even use Jimmy Smith's injury in 2014 for the loss against the Pats because obviously without Jimmy the D was doing good enough to have 2 14 point leads in the game. Despite Jimmy being gone against Pittsburgh last year and last night, we still were containing them enough to have leads.
Also mind you we finished 8-8 in 2013, the Chargers made the playoffs at 9-7. We blew a lead against the Bears lost 23-20. We also had a lead against the Packers that we blew as well. That's 10-6 and in the playoffs in 2013 or even beating the Bears at 9-7 and having the tiebreaker over the Chargers to get in as the 6th seed.
Bullshit. Injuries ARE an excuse. You seriously have the means to tell me that they aren't? Seriously. The packers suck right now. Nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers being gone. Injuries are not a valid reason. Pardon my blunt french. But what the fuck kind of logic is that? I'll give you a hint: It's illogical. This is as logical as you saying that Odell Beckham Jr, one of the three best WRs in the NFL when he's healthy, is overrated and a one trick pony known for one handed catches. Or when you compared Deandre Hopkins to Torrey Smith. Or when you said that Dean Pees is making that FB who scored a TD yesterday look like a "star" when that's ALL that he did. Give me a fucking break. Of course injuries are a detriment. When you have a guy like Jimmy Smith, who was playing at a VERY high level get hurt... EVERY defense is going to suffer even if just for a little bit. You have to change the game plan completey. Factor in the fact that Brandon Williams, CJ Mosley, and others along the defense have been nicked up at points this season... And the defense is the main reason that we are going to make the playoffs. 2015 we lose Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Suggs, so on and so forth for the year. But no excuse, we should have won the fucking super bowl right. Harbaugh is a failure fire him. We are down two of our starting corners for the year. most teams are going to struggle with that before figuring it out.. If they do at all. Oh btw.. Irony is that the defense actually came alive towards the end of 2015...
Okay then... .I'll play your game.
1. So you use 2013. A year where we have fielded the worst offense ever in the Flacco era. No running game, one WR. A defense that was welcoming brand new additions after a HOF safety left, and a bunch of other core pieces left as well. Sure, we picked up a few good players, but for the most part.. And this is fucking obvious by the way... THE DEFENSE WAS NOT THE PROBLEM IN 2013! AT ALL. The offense was historically bad. If we had fielded a decent offense that season.. No, fuck that... If we had AN offensive line that season we make the playoffs easily. The defense played A role, but they were the main reason we won as many games as we did. The offense was so pourous that season that they probably lost us 2-3 games.. Notice that the defensive additions we made that offseason were minimal at best until the draft. In fact, this season has been VERY similar to 2013. Difference is... The offense was slightly better to begin with(having a running game helps) and the offense might be coming together. You really need to rexamine your priorities if you want to blame Pees for 2013. Pees was hardly the problem that year.
2. Yes.. I can use Jimmy Smith for the 2014 game vs. New England. He's in the game, Brady doesn't exploit the hell out of Melvin.. A dude we literally signed off of someone's practice squad. "But we could have doubled whoever was on his side of the field". Matt Elam played a massive role in some of the big plays Melvin gave up as well. Matt Elam and Melvin.. Sorry, even Wade Phillips, a defensive genius, would be banging his head against the wall with those two out of anger with those two on his team while Josh McDaniels and Brady laugh their asses off targeting him all game. Jimmy Smith is there.. The gameplan is different, and our pass rush gets home more. We most certainly win that game.
"Our defense is doing something right if we are having double digits leads at some point during any game. Then the 4th quarter hits and we blow the lead which at that point is not a injury issue or a player issue, it's a scheme issue." No.. This is false for several reasons.
3. Pertaining to your quote. No.. This is false for several reasons.. We did.. And I repeat. WERE NOT SOFT THE PAST TWO YEARS AGAINST THE STEELERS. We blitzed a significant portion of the time, a very smart play actually. And we still couldn't get to the QB. THAT is a player issue. Not a Pees or scheme issue.
And sure. The defense likely got a few stops to contain him. But this logic is once again, flawed. Want to know why. BECAUSE IT GIVES PEES CREDIT. It implies that his game plan wasn't indeed terrible. Because it isn't. He hasn't really switched to prevent recently, and did not do it against the steelers. I forget who said it but someone was right. We decided to press Brown a little more often than we should have while blitzing. An aggressive play. In fact, a good one. But then for whatever reason we start fucking up in the fourth quarter. Pass rush never gets home, defensive backs blow their assignments.. Player issue. Players need to do their assignments.
4. Yes. Pees was flawed yesterday.. But football is a team sport damnit. While the Lions share of the blame should rightfully go to the defense.. In fact, Pees himself does have a hand in this. Offense had a few fuckups that contributed to the loss. Marty's situational football was terrible(even though overall he called a pretty good game. In fact. If he keeps it up, we can keep him for all I care). Patriots, Flacco threw a costly interception. Last season our recievers put a lot of plays on the ground. This time, Flacco interception, shit situational playcalling, Maclin's spot on Lee Evans impression play a role.
It's a player issue. Players not executing has been a massive problem here. It's not a coincidence that the defense has been better this year than years previously... We have players that usually haven't fucked up this season. Yesterday and the Jacksonville games were the only real exceptions to this rule. The defense is easily the reason we are in playoff contention. Dean doesn't deserve all of the credit for this.... But he does deserve some.
And yes, I'd much rather have an aggressive guy like Pagano here.. But I think the defense can figure some shit out. The schedule is easy and we should win at least two of these games *knock on wood*.
For what it's worth, I'd much rather have Pees retire. I'm sick of the bitching.
That information would have been useful to me yesterday!